Warriors: Feather of Hope
by Ouka-Noir
Summary: A full season has passed since the battle of the Dark Forest and things have begun to settle down. However, a new prophecy warns the Clans of a coming evil; "A kin of your kin will see the stars through the eyes of others. This cat will bring hope to the Clans with the aid of Fire, Storm and a Fallen Heart."
1. Allegiances

**ShadowClan**

**Leader ** Rowanstar- lither dark ginger tom with green eyes

**Deputy **Oakfur- very small dark brown tom

**Medicine Cat ** Littlecloud- very small brown tabby tom with light blue eyes

**Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Smokefoot- black tom with thorn sharp claws and a ragged pelt

Ivytail- long-furred black-white-and tortoiseshell she-cat

Toadfoot- dark brown tom with gray eyes

Apprentice, Marshpaw

Applefur- mottled brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Sparrowpaw

Crowfrost- black-and-white tom with blue eyes

Kinkfur- tabby she-cat with long, unkempt fur that sticks out at all angles

Ratscar- dark brown tom with a long scar across his back

Snowbird- sleek pure white she-cat with green eyes

Tawnypelt- pale tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Owlclaw- light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot- gray she-cat with black paws

Scorchfur- dark gray tom with amber eyes

Tigerheart- sleek dark brown tiger-striped tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Mistpaw

Dawnpelt- cream-furred she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Hollowpaw

Ferretclaw- cream-and-gray tom with blue eyes

Starlingwing- ginger tom

Stoatfur- skinny ginger tom

**Apprentices (six moons old or older, in-training to become warriors)**

Sparrowpaw- large brown tabby tom

Mistpaw- spiky furred, pale gray she-cat

Marshpaw- wiry white-and-black tom

Hollowpaw- long-furred black tabby tom

**Queens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)**

Pinenose- black she-cat with green eyes, nursing Owlclaw's kits; Shadekit- brown tabby tom and Emberkit- small black she-cat

Olivenose- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, nursing Tigerheart's kits; Featherkit- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with one amber eye and one green eye, Stormkit- dark brown tabby tom with green eyes and Flamekit- thick-furred mottled ginger tom with amber eyes

**Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Tallpoppy- graying light brown tabby she-cat

Whitewater- white she-cat with one blind eye

**ThunderClan**

**Leader **Bramblestar- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy **Squirrelflight- dark ginger she-cat

**Medicine Cat **Jayfeather- gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Apprentice, Briarlight- dark brown she-cat with useless hind legs

**Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Brakenfur- golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail- long-haired white tom

Apprentice, Seedpaw (very pale ginger she-cat)

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie- gray stripped tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Lilypaw (dark tabby she-cat with white patches)

Thronclaw- golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Amberpaw (gray she-cat with white paws and amber eyes)

Leafpool- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Spiderleg- long-limbed black tom with a brown underbelly

Apprentice, Dewpaw (gray tom with amber eyes)

Birchfall- light brown tabby tom

Whitewing- white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose- cream-colored tom

Apprentice, Snowpaw (white tom with amber eyes)

Hazeltail- small gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker- gray-and-white tom

Poppyfrost- tortoiseshell she-cat

Lionblaze- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap- reddish tabby tom

Icecloud- white she-cat

Toadstep- black-and-white tom

Rosepetal- dark cream she-cat

Blossomfall- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Bumblestripe- very pale gray tom with black stripes

Ivypool- silver-and-white tabby she-cat

Cherryfur- small ginger she-cat

Moleclaw- large brown-and-cream tom

**Queens (she-cat nursing or expecting kits)**

Dovewing- pale gray she-cat, nursing Bumblestripe's kits; Hollykit, Fallenkit and Brindlekit

Cinderheart- gray tabby she-cat, expecting Lionstripe's kits

Daisy- long furred cream she-cat with a slowly graying muzzle

**Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Graystripe- long-haired gray tom

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

**WindClan**

**Leader **Onestar- brown tabby tom

**Deputy **Ashfoot- gray she-cat

**Medicine Cat **Kestrelflight- mottled gray tom

**Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Crowfeather- dark gray tom

Apprentice, Rushpaw (brown tabby she-cat)

Owlwhisker- light brown tabby tom

Nightcloud- black she-cat

Gorsetail- very pale gray-and-white she-cat

Weaselfur- ginger tom with white paws

Apprentice, Spottedpaw (light brown tom with white splotches)

Harespring- brown-and-white tom

Leaftail- dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot- gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail- light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Sedgewhisker- light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail- dark gray she-cat

Whiskernose- light brown tom

Furzepelt- gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderfur- large pale gray tom

**Queens (she-cat nursing or expecting kits)**

Sunstrike- tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead, nursing Leaftail's kits; Bouncekit and Greenkit

Whitetail- small white she-cat, nursing Onestar's kits; Darkkit, Flowerkit and Runningkit

**Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Webfoot- dark gray tabby tom

Tornear- tabby top

**RiverClan**

**Leader **Mistystar- gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy **Reedwhisker- black tom

Apprentice, Podpaw (sturdy black tom)

**Medicine Cat **Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat

Apprentice, Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat

**Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Graymist- pale gray tabby she-cat

Mintfur- light gray tabby tom

Icewing- white she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Scaldpaw (thick-furred light brown-and-white she-cat)

Minnowtail- dark gray she-cat

Apprentice, Curlpaw (dark brown-and-white tabby she-cat)

Duskfur- brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt- tortoiseshell she-cat

Pebblefoot- mottled gray tom

Mallownose- light brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Stonepaw (gray-and-white tabby tom)

Robinwing- tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Grasspelt- light brown tom

Apprentice, Lightpaw (very light gray tom)

Hollowflight- dark brown tabby tom

Troutstream- pale gray she-cat

Mossyfoot- brown-and-white she-cat

Rushtail- light brown tabby tom

**Queens (she-cat nursing or expecting kits)**

Petalfur- gray-and-white she-cat, nursing Mallownose's kits; Sneezekit and Pricklekit

**Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Dapplenose- mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail- elderly ginger-and-white tom

**Cats Outside of the Clans**

Smoky- muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a bar at the horseplace

Floss- small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at horseplace


	2. Prologue

**AN: Hey there everybody, Ouka-noir here with a new story for you all. Originally, this was going to be a new chapter to the Mist of Fate series, but it wound up developing into its own thing. So, this story is about Tigerheart and his new family. He still loves Dovewing, but since she chose Bumblestripe over him, he decided to try and move on. If you know who Olivenose is, I made her his mate because it seemed right somehow. This takes place about a year and a half after The Last Hope and the only characters I created can be seen in the allegiances. I kept to the story for the most part, but I'm excluding everything from the Novellas and the new Bramblestar special edition. **

**I hope you all like it, cause here goes!**

* * *

"They're here, two toms and one she-kit!" Littlecloud announced with a calm mew.

The Clan let out soft mews and whispers as Tigerheart made a bee-line for the nursery entrance to look at the tiny medicine cat expectantly. "Are they alright? How is Olivenose? Can I see them?" His mew was frantic despite the calm glance Littlecloud gave him. "If you are so curious, why not go see them yourself?" Littlecloud waved his tail at the entrance.

Tigerheart gulped and carefully entered the nursery, his heart beating an unnatural throb in his chest. Warmth and milk-scent wafted over his thick pelt and soft whimpers lifted the fur around his ears. His heart sped even more so at the noise; his kits.

Olivenose was lying on her side with three bundles huddled close to her swollen belly, her tongue running over their pelts with loving care. Her eyes glowed with warmth as she looked to meet her mate's eyes. Tigerheart smiled and quickly went to her side, pressing his muzzle to hers. She purred and returned the gesture before turning back to her newborn kits.

"Aren't they beautiful?" she purred, gazing down at the bundles with love. Tigerheart could only nod; his words would not come through the knot in his throat. The three bundles of fur squirmed to get to their mother's milk, squeaking every so often. His heart swelled and he bent his muzzle to sniff them.

Olivenose ran her tongue over a small pale tortoiseshell kit's head, receiving a high pitched wail. "This little one is a fighter; she will be a great warrior someday," she commented, touching the same gray kit with her tail tip. Tigerheart nodded and looked to his sons. Both were thick furred, one with a dark tabby pelt like his father and the other with a mottled ginger much like his grandfather.

The brambles behind them rustled as three cats entered, all of whom Tigerheart recognized with ease; his family. "They are so cute! Congratulations, Tigerheart," Dawnpelt purred, pressing her muzzle lightly against her brother's. Tawnypelt and Rowanstar sat side by side by the entrance, their tails intertwined and their eyes shining with pride at the sight of their grandchildren.

Tigerheart smiled at them before turning back to his kits. "What should we name them?" Olivenose glanced to her mate encouragingly. Her eyes shimmered as she spoke, silently nudging him to speak.

Slowly, he bowed his head to the dark tabby tom and touched him lightly with his nose. "Stormkit." His mate nodded, watching the tom as he wiggled under his father's touch. The dark pelt reminded him of his grandfather, a storm of claws and fury. Olivenose rested her tail tip atop the ginger tom lightly before she spoke, her mew soft.

"I wanted to name one of the toms Flamekit, after your brother," she mewed, looking into his eyes sadly, "only if you want to, of course." His brother, Flametail. The name brought a dull ache to his heart, one that, he noticed, ached through his family and Littlecloud. His brother had died a horrible way; he had almost died again if not for Tigerstar's mercy.

Olivenose continued to stare into his amber eyes.

He stared into hers for a few, long heart beats before the image of a certain pale gray ThunderClan she-cat leapt into his mind. Dovewing was a mother now, with Bumblestripe as her mate; there was no place in their lives for him.

He now had no room in his new life for them either. "How about Featherkit for the she-kit?" Olivenose nodded before stroking the she-kit with her tail tip. He knew that she didn't realize the meaning behind the name; a feather from the wings of a dove had buried itself in his heart, tickling so it would ache every time he thought of the ThunderClan cat he had fallen in love with.

The tortoiseshell queen nodded and curled her tail around her newly named kits. Soon, soft snores filled the air and Tigerheart slowly padded away from his mate and kits. Dawnpelt and his family soon followed suite, carefully sliding through the bramble barrier and out to greet the Clan. Rowanstar paused to touch his tail to his son's shoulder before addressing the Clan of the kits' names.

Tigerheart didn't wait for the official announcement; instead he began his trek out of camp and slowly towards the border. He padded along it quietly, staring into the trees as if searching for signs of the memories that haunted this piece of territory; he saw none. He sighed as he reached the shoreline and gazed out at the lake. Overhead, the moon shined from its claw-arched ascendance. Silverpelt gleamed brightly, as if welcoming him to sit and stare up at them until sunrise.

He sat, curling his tail delicately over his paws and stared out over the lake. Here, memories played out before him. Memories of Flametail drowning and Jayfeather trying desperately to save him. The first notions of the blind medicine cat murdering his brother were put to the back of his mind; his brother had died a horrible death, he was lucky to escape a brutal second death by the cats of the Dark Forest.

Tigerheart shook his head angrily, washing the images from his mind. He peered into the lake and sighed again. Flametail and Dovewing, he had lost them both. "At least I now have three beautiful kits to call my own," he muttered to himself.

* * *

Littlecloud placed borage leaves beside a barley awake Olivenose, instructing her to eat it before leaving the nursery and heading back to his den. Flamekit, Featherkit and Stormkit were in good health, thank StarClan. They were the second litter of kits the Clan had had in the season, there was little chance they would have any new apprentices any time soon.

Settling himself down by his herb storage, he began to sort leaves from berries from roots and so on until he was lost in his own world. His paws moved almost without him realizing it, moving a leaf of catmint away from the burdock root noting that he was low. His mind wandered, recalling the time when his apprentice had helped him sort. Flametail had been a dedicated medicine cat apprentice until the bitter end. Littlecloud sighed sadly. He would miss his apprentice just as much as he did Runningnose.

Once all was sorted and accounted for, save for a few piles that were shockingly low, Littlecloud retired to his nest, curled himself into a ball and closed his eyes. He was always tired after a queen gave birth, even if he was only watching. He signed before he allowed sleep to take hold of him, leaving the world around him behind.

"_Welcome, Littlecloud," _a soft voice purred.

The small medicine cat's eyes shot open and he leapt to his feet, looking every which way to find the source of the voice. He soon found it. A dark ginger tom with starlit blue eyes stood before him, his pelt twinkling with bright stars. Littlecloud smiled and instantly relaxed, settling himself down on his haunches before greeting the ghostly cat. "Greeting, Flametail, I see you are well."

Flametail returned his former mentor's smile and nodded. He looked well; strong and glossy fur, his eyes bright with new life and his pelt warm. If you hadn't known, you would have thought he had never drowned. Littlecloud liked that about StarClan, you were always healthy and well. "I take it you have something to tell me?" Littlecloud muttered, looking at his former apprentice expectantly.

Flametail hesitated, seeming uncomfortable with the idea of speaking. His tail fidgeted before settling over his paws. _"Yes, I do have something to tell you; I'm just not sure how."_

Littlecloud watched the ghostly tom curiously; it wasn't like a StarClan warrior to be hesitant. Before Littlecloud could speak, Flametail opened his jaws and spoke in a deep tone:

"_After the battle of darkness, a dark force shall rise from the depths of the forest only to be quelled by the feather of hope, which shall bring a new hope to the Clans with flame and storm aiding it."_

Littlecloud blinked in surprise, unsure of the message. It was a prophecy, he was sure of that much, but the meaning eluded him. He opened his jaws to speak, but found himself alone.

* * *

**Please Review and Favorite to show your support! **

**Ouka-noir**


	3. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey there everybody, I am on a roll today! Three chapters in one day, it is unheard of from me! In this chapter, we slowly begin to see how Featherkit and her siblings destinies will unfold. It is very close to leaf-bare now and that means sickness... What fun.**

**With that done, Let's get to it!**

* * *

Olivenose ran her tongue over herself as Littlecloud exited the nursery, looking up every so often to watch her kits play with Pinenose's kits. Shadekit nearly towered over her one moon old kits, but he was very gentle with them. The tabby kit tossed a ball of moss into the air and watched as the three younger kits raced after it, squeaking happily as they pelted for it. Flamekit reached the ball first, hooking his tiny claws into the tendrils before swatting it into the air. Stormkit instantly changed direction and pelted after it with Featherkit tailing behind him.

The queen smiled before noticing the medicine cat's presence. "Good morning, Littlecloud, how is Emberkit doing?" The tiny tom looked towards her before chuckling lightly. "She will be fine, as long as she learns to stay away from thorns from now on," he purred, settling himself down beside her. Olivenose snickered at the notion of kits _not _getting into trouble. Together, the two watched as the game of moss ball continued.

Featherkit pounced on the ball and swatted it towards Stormkit, who was all too glad to catch it with his claws and bounce it towards the nursery. Shadekit reached it first, never noticing their audience, and swatted it back into the center of the camp. Her kits bounded after it, continuing their routine until Olivenose noticed a familiar brown tabby tom entering the camp alongside a hunting patrol.

Tigerheart held a raven and frog in his jaws as he made his way to their steadily growing fresh-kill pile. Snowbird and Smokefoot followed suite, placing their kills atop the pile. Tigerheart meowed complements to his patrol before noticing his mate's gaze. He smiled and padded over to her, a purr reverberating from his thick pelt.

"How was the prey running today?" Olivenose asked as her mate touched noses with her. Tigerheart settled himself on her open side and recounted to her the events that had happened during the patrol. It was mindless gossip until he turned his attention to their kits. "They sure are full of energy, aren't they?" he mused.

Olivenose let out a soft sigh and nodded in agreement; ever since their eyes had opened, the kits had been bundles of energy. They rarely got into trouble, but their energy was sometimes a nuisance to the queen. Usually, she would send them to talk with the elders or explore the camp or even play with the older kits and apprentices. She did love her kits, but they were a pawful.

Just as her mind wandered, Featherkit caught sight of Tigerheart and bounded over to her father, yelling "Tigerheart!" as she ran. The tiny tortoiseshell she-kit pounced onto her father just as her brothers noticed their father's presence, moss ball forgotten. Tigerheart chuckled as the tiny kit clambered onto his back while his sons tackled him head on. All three of them began mewing questions about the patrol; did you see any foxes, did you see any other clans' patrols, and what did you catch?

"Alright, alright, one at a time please!" Featherkit slid off her father's back and joined her brothers where they sat before the mighty tom. Their eager eyes shined as they waited for an answer. Staring at those eyes reminded Olivenose of when they had first opened them. Flamekit had the eyes of his father while Stormkit had the eyes of his grandmother and grandfather. Featherkit had one of both, one amber and one green, both shining brightly with eagerness to see the forest.

Tigerheart happily told the kits the story of his patrol, adding the occasional exaggeration here and there to make the kits squeak and yowl. Once he was finished, Stormkit puffed out his chest and yowled, "I am Stormstar, leader of ShadowClan! I will defeat any fox that steps paw in my territory!" Featherkit and Flamekit followed suite, pretending to be warriors and foxes as they scampered off to play.

"Yup, they are definitely bundles of energy," Littlecloud muttered as he rose from his spot. Olivenose watched the medicine cat as he retreated to his den. Littlecloud was growing old; it would be time soon for him to take on a new apprentice. She gazed at her kits as a thought popped into her head, _What if one of my kits becomes medicine cat apprentice? _The idea didn't horrify her, but it didn't exactly please her either.

She had hoped they would all become warriors, and eventually parents. She told Pinenose of her notion once while her kits were sleeping and the queen had understood her, even she wanted to see her kits grow up to be the pride of the Clan and give them a new generation. A queen was supposed to think these things, praying to StarClan to allow their kits' futures to be bright and happy.

_But if it is their destiny to be medicine cat, I won't stop them, _she vowed silently. Tigerheart glanced at her quietly, noting her sudden silence. "Is something the matter, Olivenose? Your mind seems to be wandering," he meowed. His eyes met hers and she just stared into them, noting the subtle hints of concern in their dark amber depths. Her heart swelled with love for the tom as she pressed her head into his shoulder, purring lightly. "I'm fine, Tigerheart, I was just thinking about our kits' futures." Her voice held a note of sadness at the idea of no longer sharing a nest with her little bundles of fur.

Her mate nodded his head and gazed at the kits as they pounced around. "They will be great warriors and will make the Clan proud, I'm sure." She looked up at him before burying her muzzle into his coat. She hoped he was right, she truly did.

* * *

Littlecloud sighed as he noted his lack of catmint and coltsfoot in his storage. _This isn't good,_ he chided inwardly. With Leaf-bare approaching, they needed all the catmint and coltsfoot they could get to fight off greencough. He grumbled under his breath as he stood to his paws and began to pad over to the rest of his herbs, noting what else was low in case he saw any.

"What are you doing?"

Littlecloud blinked in surprised and turned to the entrance to see Featherkit standing there, her eyes wide with curiosity. He stared into her eyes as he usually did when he made eye contact with her; her eyes were so unusual, he couldn't help but stare at them before speaking. "I'm checking the herbs to see what I need to get while I'm out of the camp," he responded, watching her as she clambered over to look at the leaves. She stared at them, her eyes widening as she realized how many there were.

"Are they all for making the warriors feel better?" she asked, looking up at the tiny medicine cat in wonder. He purred in amusement at the kit's curiosity. "Some of them, yes. Others are to help queens get their milk or to give cats strength to travel to far off places." He watched her out of the corner of his eyes as he explained, pointing out borage leaves and burdock roots with a paw. She paid close attention to his words, nodding every so often.

He had to admit, for a kit that was full of energy she could sit still and listen rather well. The moment, however, was short lived. "Come on, Featherkit! Mistpaw and Sparrowpaw are going to show us some hunting moves!" Flamekit yelled, poking his head into the den before streaking away again. Featherkit turned in surprise and began towards the entrance. Littlecloud hid his sadness as he got back to work when he heard Featherkit speak. "Thanks for showing me that stuff, Littlecloud."

He turned to stare at the tiny kit with shock filled blue eyes only to find her already gone. Littlecloud shook his head, trying to shake away the surprise and turning back to his work in order to steer his mind away from the idea. But his mind wouldn't listen. _Perhaps I will have a new apprentice sooner than I expected._

Littlecloud let out a soft sigh before beginning to count his herbs again.

* * *

Despite the first feeling of excitement that had raced through Featherkit's blood at the mention of learning hunting moves, her heart wasn't in it. Her paws were clumsy and her mind wandered too much to concentrate on crouching and crawling along the ground. The idea of learning new things usually made her want to try them out, but the idea of doing it nagged at her for some reason.

When she had been sitting beside Littlecloud, she had been amazed at how many herbs and berries there were for injuries and other things. He had been kind, putting up with her curiosity and shocked at her interest. Even so, she couldn't let her brothers have all the fun. _If you can even call this fun, _she muttered inwardly as she tried to crouch again.

"You're too close to the ground, Featherkit, lift your belly up a bit more," Mistpaw instructed from the sidelines. Featherkit grimaced and tried to suck her belly in best she could. "No, not like that! Arch your back like you're going to pounce on something." Anger flashed through her tiny body as she tried desperately to follow the commands. Little luck. When she tried to leap forwards, her paw got tangled and she fell into the dirt.

Dirt coated her pelt as she sat up and coughed and tried to get the taste of dirt out of her mouth. Sparrowpaw snickered from behind her while Mistpaw simply shook her head. Featherkit's pelt heated in embarrassment as she stood and padded back to the nursery with her tail dragging along the ground behind her. Her mother glanced up as she approached and concern filled her eyes as she caught sight of her face.

"What happened, Featherkit? Are you alright?" she cooed, moving her tail to welcome her tiny kit into her warmth. Featherkit sniffled and curled next to her mother's warm belly while her mother's tail wrapped around her. "It's nothing, Mama, I just had a bad day," she muttered, burying her nose into the queen's side. Olivenose let out a soft purr as she began to groom the bits of dirt out of her daughter's pelt. The purrs soothed Featherkit's nerves while her tongue washed away all the feelings of embarrassment she had felt heartbeats ago.

"Will you tell me what is wrong, little one?" she asked after a few long heartbeats of silence. Featherkit nodded slowly before lifting her head and explaining what had happened. Talking about it, she didn't feel as embarrassed, but when it had happened she could only hear the blood roaring in her ears. When she was finished, Olivenose chuckled. Blood roared in her ears as the memory of Sparrowpaw laughing haunted her thoughts. "It is _not _funny!" Featherkit screeched, shooting to her paws and glaring up at her mother.

Olivenose stared at her before chuckling again and smiling at her little kit. "Why are you laughing? I don't like it when people laugh at me…" Featherkit sniffled again as tears pricked at her eyes. Instead of scolding her like Featherkit had expected, Olivenose ran her tongue lovingly between her ears. "I know it hurts when your clanmates laugh at you, little one. I should know." Featherkit blinked in surprise and looked up at her mother in confusion.

"Believe it or not, I couldn't do a hunting crouch right until I was about a full season old," the queen admitted. Featherkit blinked in surprise and stared at her mother in awe. "I tripped over my paws or my tail wouldn't be high enough or I couldn't even walk in a straight line while crouched. It was embarrassing to say the least." Her eyes grew soft as she stared at her kit. "But with the help of my mentor, I learned how to do it. My fellow clanmates laughed at me for a while, but they soon saw how much effort I put into it and eventually encouraged me."

Featherkit stared at her mother as the roaring in her ears slowly lessened. Relief flooded through her at the realization and she smiled. Olivenose returned the smile before glancing over to where Stormkit and Flamekit were practicing with Sparrowpaw and Mistpaw. From where Featherkit was nestled beside her mother, she noticed Littlecloud padding towards the entrance of the camp.

"What is Littlecloud doing?" she asked, looking up at her mother expectantly. The tortoiseshell queen followed her kit's line of sight and nodded upon sighting the tiny tabby tom. "He must be gathering herbs for leaf-bare," she guessed, flicking her tail dismissively.

Again, her curiosity peaked. "What'd leaf-bare?"

Olivenose purred and glanced up at the sky. "That when it snows and all the leaves are gone from the trees. Prey is scarcer and everyone gathers close together for warmth." The idea of sleeping with her mother, father and brothers made her feel warm, but she had no idea what snow was. "When is it coming?"

The queen looked thoughtful before responding, "About a half-moon from now, I think."

* * *

**I take it everyone is starting to see which position Featherkit is gravitating towards? If not, you'll see in the next few chapters. **

**Review and Favorite to show your support,**

**Ouka-noir (oh yeah, check out my deciantart to see a picture of Featherkit, my name on there is Asoukathewolf)**


	4. Chapter 2

**AN: Welcome to another new chapter! I'm on a roll peoples! Featherkit's world takes a turn for the worst, sadly but I will tell you now... SHE DOESN'T DIE! **

**With that said, onward to the show (in a manor of speaking)**

* * *

Coughing aroused Flamekit from his dreams, which annoyed him. He had been so close to catching a nice fat crow when he had been awakened. Angrily, her sat up and looked around for the source of the noise. He didn't have to look far. Beside him, Featherkit was coughing and wheezing softly. "Featherkit, wake up," he mewed, nudging his sister with a paw. She grumbled and moved closer to their mother's milk warm belly. "Come on, mouse-brain, wake up! You're keeping me awake!" he hissed, pawing at her again.

Olivenose stirred and raised her head, obviously annoyed at being awoken so early. "Flamekit, what are you doing?" she hissed under her breath. "Go to sleep." Flamekit huffed and glared at his mother. "I was sleeping, but Featherkit woke me up with her coughing!"

The queen looked surprised before uncurling herself from her kits and kneeling beside her daughter. Featherkit coughed feebly and shivered at the sudden disappearance of her warmth. Flamekit expected his mother to scold Featherkit for waking him up, but instead, she placed her paw against his littermate and listened to her cough. Fear appeared in his mother's eyes before she ran out of the nursery, howling for Littlecloud.

Stormkit awoke with a start and looked around, fear lighting up his eyes. "What's going on?" he whimpered, curling his tail close to his side. "Why does Mama sound so scared?" Flamekit stared at his brother before looking to Featherkit who only tried to get warm by curling up into a tight ball. Carefully, the ginger tom padded over to her and nudged her again.

"Featherkit? Featherkit, wake up." He nudged her again, but only heard her whimper in response. "What's wrong, Featherkit?!" His voice had grown high and shrill in fear. No matter what he tried, she wouldn't wake up.

The brambles by guarding the entrance rustled as Littlecloud pushed inside with Olivenose close behind him. He glanced at Flamekit and Stormkit before turning his attention to the still sleeping Featherkit. "Did she eat anything from the fresh-kill pile?" the medicine cat asked as he knelt beside the kit. Olivenose shook her head vigorously. He watched her before pressing his nose to Featherkit's pelt.

Olivenose looked to her sons and swept them to her with her tail. "What's wrong with Featherkit, Mama?" Stormkit wailed, fear clawing at his voice. She only shook her head and watched the tabby work. The other nest stirred and Pinenose looked at Olivenose curiously. Again, she shook her head.

Littlecloud sat up, concern eating at his eyes. "It's greencough," he announced. Pinenose looked to the tiny tom in shock while Olivenose began to shiver uncontrollably. Flamekit had never heard of greencough, but from how the queens were acting it wasn't anything good. While he wasn't looking, Littlecloud picked up Featherkit carefully by the scruff of her neck and exited the nursery. Olivenose watched them go before tears fell from her eyes.

* * *

Littlecloud set to work quickly, gathering catmint and tansy, and quickly chewing it into a pulp that a kit could eat. Featherkit lay on a nest of thick moss and pine needles where she shivered and coughed uncontrollably.

When Olivenose had come to him saying that Featherkit was coughing, his heart had frozen in fear. Leaf-bare had just begun to take hold and he hadn't expected greencough to spread so quickly. He had prayed to StarClan to let the grip of greencough to be lessened this season, but the words seemed futile.

He quickly went to the kit's side and placed the pulp beside her. "Featherkit, I need you to eat as much of this as you can, all right?" he instructed. Her eyes flashed for a moment and her tongue slowly began to lap at the herbs. She wasn't taking much of it in, but it was a start. He had to get water into her so she wouldn't dehydrate. As if StarClan had heard his thoughts, Tigerheart and Rowanstar pushed into the sandy den, concern in their eyes.

"Is she alright?" Tigerheart asked, almost breathless from running from the warriors' den. Littlecloud stared at him quietly before speaking; "I need you to get some moss soaked in water, run if you have to just be fast."

Tigerheart blinked in surprise but quickly backed out of the den and raced off to gather moss. Rowanstar watched Littlecloud as he coaxed Featherkit to eat more of the pulp. "Is it greencough?" he questioned quietly. Littlecloud just nodded. "Do you think it has spread?" He shook his head.

Featherkit let out a feebly squeak as coughs racked her tiny body. Littlecloud pressed his nose into her pelt, trying to gauge how high her fever was. Heat assaulted his senses, but it wasn't as bad as he had first thought. The entranced rustled as Tigerheart entered with a ball of soaked moss clamped in his jaws. "Set it close to her mouth," Littlecloud instructed quietly. The dark tabby tom maneuvered around him and placed the moss by his daughter's mouth.

Her eyes opened and she slowly lapped at the moss before coughs racked her again. Littlecloud let out a sigh as she began to finish off the herbs and lapped at more water. Leaving her side for a moment, he went to his storage and got out a poppy seed for her. He instructed her to swallow it then drink more water before she was finally allowed to sleep. She did so, swallowing the tiny seed without so much as a whimper and lapped at the water some more before she closed her eyes. He stayed by her side until he was sure she was sleeping, although restless.

He looked to his leader and gestured for him to speak. Rowanstar watched him with jaded green eyes and glanced through the branches at the nearly full moon above them. "I take it you won't be attending the gathering then?" Littlecloud shook his head and glanced to his storage, trying to figure out how much catmint he had left. It wasn't much. "I can't leave Featherkit alone when she has greencough; it's fatal to kits and I don't want another kit to die."

The words hung in the air as the memory of Dewpaw's untimely death at the paws of infection gripped their hearts. Littlecloud had left him think he was alright; he had found the apprentice dead when he returned from gathering herbs. He refused to let another cat die because of his ignorance.

Rowanstar nodded. "I'll tell them that you are attending to urgent matters that require your full attention. Hopefully they will all understand."

Tigerheart snorted. "They had better understand! A kit with greencough is very bad, if the Clans don't understand that than they are all mouse-brained and fox-hearted," he growled, pulling his lips back at the thought. Littlecloud watched the tom uncertainly before beginning to sort through his herbs again.

Rowanstar and Tigerheart took that as a sign to leave, although Tigerheart looked towards Featherkit hesitantly, and left the den as quietly as they had entered. Littlecloud glanced up from his work to make sure they were gone before looking down at his measly supply of catmint. _Not even enough for three apprentices, much less a warrior,_ he grimaced. He was ill prepared for the on-coming harshness of leaf-bare and he knew it. He had enough tansy to halt a fever, but the coughs he could only hope would pass.

He glanced over his shoulder towards a restlessly sleeping Featherkit. Her paw jumped and moved in her sleep, as though she was running, and her tail flicked back and forth quickly. At least her cough had subsided for the most part. He sighed and looked up toward Silverpelt and the nearly full moon.

_Please, StarClan, don't take this kit from us! She is young and has yet to live like a Clan cat should. Please give her the strength to pull through…_

* * *

Tigerheart padded alongside Tawnypelt and Dawnpelt as they maneuvered across the fallen tree. He was jittery, glancing in the direction of camp every so often and worrying over his kits to the point where he couldn't keep his paws still. Dawnpelt supported him while Tawnypelt led them quickly across the bark and onto the island. They found a place to sit alongside a group of RiverClan warriors who gossiped to themselves.

Onestar, Bramblestar and Mistystar sat high in the branches while Rowanstar nimbly climbed to perch beside the ThunderClan leader, nodding to each leader in turn. Onestar raised his tail for silence and all the cats complied quickly. A heavy silence settled over the four Clans as the eldest leader lowered his tail and began to speak. "WindClan is doing well; the prey is running well considering how close to leaf-bare it is. We have one new little of kits; Darkkit, Flowerkit and Runningkit."

WindClan howled in cheers at the news alongside a few cats from the other Clans. Onestar nodded his thanks before stepping back to allow Mistystar to speak. "RiverClan does not have much to report. Prey is running well, although the river has begun to freeze early." A short report; short and sweet. She took a step back to allow Bramblestar to speak.

His eyes shone with a bright pride as he spoke, "We have two new warriors within ThunderClan's ranks, Cherryfur and Moleclaw." ThunderClan and a few other cats took up a cheer that reverberated through the trees until Bramblestar silenced them with a flick of his tail. "Prey has run rather well everything considered. We chased a fox out of our territory and as far from the other Clans as possible." The dark tabby tom looked to Rowanstar who stepped forward to give his report.

"Prey runs well for us in ShadowClan as well, but we were hit by tragedy this early leaf-bare. One of the kits, Featherkit, has fallen ill with greencough." Cats for all Clans yowled in shock and whispers began to roam through the bodies of fur.

"Is that why Littlecloud isn't here?" Jayfeather, ThunderClan's medicine cat, asked over the roar of the cats. All the cats fell silent upon noticing the absence of the tiny tabby medicine cat from ShadowClan. "Yes, he wishes to look after Featherkit until she recovers," Rowanstar replied calmly, though his eyes were dull. As Rowanstar continued his report, Tigerheart felt a pelt press close to him.

"I'm sorry about your daughter," Bumblestripe muttered, glancing at him silently before moving away. Tigerheart watched the tom as he moved to sit beside his sister before turning his head in the direction of ShadowClan's territory. His worry was palpable, but he had to remain strong. Littlecloud had told him that she was growing stronger by the day. She would be well soon.

Slowly, his mind moving faster than his body, Tigerheart stood and walked over to Bumblestripe. "Thank you for your concern," he said as he passed him. Bumblestripe blinked in surprise and stared at Tigerheart as he took a seat beside Applefur and Sparrowpaw.

Tigerheart met the tom's eyes and smirked, eyes shining brightly under the light of the full moon. Bumblestripe blinked before returning the smirk and nodded.

* * *

She sat up slowly, testing her legs as she did so. Her legs felt wobbly and weak, but she could stand nonetheless. Littlecloud watched her from afar as Featherkit carefully climbed out of her nest and over to the water-soaked moss. She was clumsy and out of breath when she made it, but she had done it without any assistance. He smiled and nodded. "Nice job, Featherkit; you're becoming much stronger."

She looked at him with her odd eyes and smiled, lapping at the moss frantically to quench her growing thirst. It had taken her four moons to recover from greencough and had been in the medicine cat's den every day for those four moons. When she had gotten up the strength, she had tried to make it to the fresh-kill pile by herself but couldn't even make it to the entrance of the den. Littlecloud had noticed and gave her exercises to do to get her body used to moving around again.

Olivenose and her brothers would visit every once in a while and play with her as one of her exercises which had helped her greatly. Even Sparrowpaw and Mistpaw had stopped by to see how she was doing. She was grateful that they were so encouraging and thanked them for their support.

"At this rate, you'll be able to become an apprentice in no time." Her eyes grew wide at the realization. She was five moons old; in half a moon she would be old enough to be apprenticed to a mentor. Excitement bubbled in her veins and she looked to Littlecloud happily. He smiled with her and nodded.

Just hearing that made her want to get better faster.

* * *

**I like how this chapter came out and I'm really glad that Featherkit came out alright. I made it so that Bumblestripe and Tigerheart don't resent each other as much as one would expect due to the love triangle between them and Dovewing. I just really wanted to resolve it so that Tigerheart wouldn't try to, like, kill Bumblestripe or something... -^-**

**Anyways... **

**Review and favorite to show your support,**

**Ouka-noir**


	5. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey everyone! I'm very happy because I have officially decided to release a chapter a day (if that's even possible). It may be slow going, but I seem to be doing well so far. Long chapter today; Featherkit, Flamekit and Stormkit are made apprentices!**

**With that said, let's get to the story!**

* * *

Featherkit stood beside her brothers below the high peak where Rowanstar sat to begin their ceremony. Her paws trembled, not in weakness but in excitement; four long moons of being confided to the medicine cat's den had been alright, but she hated being cared for like she was a fragile leaf. Behind her, she could hear her clanmates shuffling around for places to sit. Her eyes glanced around to where her parents and Littlecloud were sitting to her right. All three cats were beaming with pride.

"Cats of ShadowClan, it is time to name these three kits as apprentices so that they may serve their Clan to the best of their abilities," Rowanstar began in a booming voice. He gazed down at his Clan before beckoning Flamekit forwards. "Flamekit is now six moons old and is ready to serve his clan as an apprentice. Until the day you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Flamepaw. I will place the task of mentoring Flamepaw to Ratscar. Ratscar I ask that you pass on your knowledge and wisdom onto this young cat."

Ratscar stepped forward as Flamepaw turned and bounded to him, touching noses before sitting down beside him. Happiness radiated off of his ginger pelt as his eyes brightened with glee. He watched his littermates excitedly as the ceremony continued.

Rowanstar beckoned for Stormkit to step forward. Slowly, he did so and stared up at his leader with wide eyes. "Stormkit has also reached the age of six moons and is ready to be apprenticed. Until the day he shall receive his warrior name, he shall be known as Stormpaw. I ask that Crowfrost train him in the ways of our Clan as he has before." Crowfrost picked his way through the crowd and touched noses with Stormpaw before leading him to where Flamepaw was sitting. Both newly named apprentices watched as their sister's ceremony began.

"Featherkit has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice. Until the day she gains her warrior name, she shall be known as Featherpaw. I ask that Snowbird mentor her in the ways of our Clan and teach her all the knowledge that she knows." Rowanstar watched as the white she-cat approached to touch noses with her apprentice, but Featherpaw just stared up at Rowanstar. The ginger tom blinked in surprise and ripples of whispers passed over the Clan in confusion.

"Is something the matter, Featherpaw?" Rowanstar mused, raising his tail for silence. Featherpaw looked up at him with her odd eyes and glanced behind her at her Clan; at her mother and father both of whom looked concerned, at Littlecloud who only watched on in confusion and at her brothers who looked shocked. She had to do this, this was what she wanted.

"I don't want to be a warrior," she announced in a clear meow.

Gasps and whispers rippled over the Clan in surprise; even Littlecloud seemed taken aback. Rowanstar raised his tail again for silence, although it took longer to gain than it had last time. He looked down at the small tortoiseshell she-cat curiously. "If you do not want to be a warrior, what do you want to be?" His mew was calm, but the question was the one every cat in the Clan was wondering.

Featherpaw took a deep breath and glanced to the sky briefly to send a prayer up to StarClan. _Please give me the strength to say what my heart desires._ "I want to become a medicine cat." Her voice was strong and clear, not that of a newly named apprentice being watched by the entire Clan. Her emotions rattled around inside of her, but she pushed them to the back of her mind and focused at the task before her.

Silence hung in the air for a few, dreadfully long heartbeats as Rowanstar stared into the young apprentice's eyes. He saw very little fear, very little nervousness and a bountiful amount of courage and hope. She knew what she was to be, but it was not his final decision. He glanced to the tiny tom in question only to see him stand from his spot and approach high peak, his eyes shining knowingly. Rowanstar smiled and straightened himself to look at his medicine cat.

"Cats of ShadowClan," Littlecloud began, "you know that I will not be around forever. I believe it is time that I took an apprentice to pass my teachings onto. I have chosen a cat who shows dedication and patients. Your next medicine cat shall be Featherpaw." He stood only a tail-length from Featherpaw as he spoke, but his words sounded as if he was speaking straight into her soul. _He means every word he's saying! _she realized in shock.

Rowanstar smiled and looked to Featherpaw. "Featherpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Littlecloud?" Her throat knotted as she looked from her leader to her parents to her brothers and finally to the cat who had helped her through her bought of greencough and stayed by her side when she took her first steps out of her nest after four long moons of recovering. She was doing what she believed was right.

"I do," she meowed, staring into Rowanstar's eyes as if challenging him to doubt her words. Rowanstar let out a soft chuckle before Littlecloud spoke again, "Then at the next half-moon you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats."

Rowanstar looked over his Clan as he finished the ceremony. "The good wishes of all of ShadowClan with go with you, Featherpaw."

She blinked before padding to Littlecloud and touching noses with him. When they took a seat, the medicine cat's light blue eyes were bright with pride for the young cat that sat by his side. "May StarClan watch over our new apprentices!" Rowanstar yowled.

"Flamepaw! Stormpaw! Featherpaw!" The Clan cheered loudly; elders, apprentices and warriors all chanted their names as the meeting ended. Featherpaw felt warmth run over her pelt before she looked up at her mentor and smiled. He, in turn, smiled back.

"I thought you wanted to be a warrior," Stormpaw complained, bounding over to her with Flamepaw close behind. Flamepaw looked annoyed while Stormpaw looked close to tears. She smiled and touched her tail tip to each of their shoulders in turn. "I did, at first, but I realized that I wasn't as excited about learning battle moves and hunting techniques as I was learning about how leaves can soothe fevers and how seeds came make a cat sleep easier. I think I always knew I wasn't cut out to be a warrior, but I may just make it as a medicine cat."

Her brothers stared at her with wide eyes while Littlecloud nodded his head slightly in agreement. Olivenose and Tigerheart padded over to them, unsure of how to react. Between the two, Tigerheart got up the courage to speak first. "Congratulations, you three; Flamepaw and Stormpaw, you will make great warriors while you, Featherpaw, will be the best medicine cat the Clan could ask for." All three littermates blinked in surprise but bowed their heads in thanks nonetheless. Olivenose hesitated before speaking.

"I am proud of all three of you; I'm just surprised that you of all cats would decide to become a medicine cat, Featherpaw. I honestly believed that you would become a warrior, like your brothers," she spoke quietly, unsure of her words. Featherpaw lowered her head at the discouraging words. "But I will be just as proud of you as a medicine cat as I will be with your brothers as warriors." Her ears perked and she looked up at her mother to find her smiling sadly at her.

Without thinking, Featherpaw ran to her mother and buried her nose into her pelt. Olivenose blinked in surprise, but licked her kit between her ears in the loving manner she had when they were only small bundles of fur mewling for milk. Stormpaw and Flamepaw both received the same treatment before they were sent off to be with their mentors. Tigerheart and Olivenose excused themselves and padded over to where Oakfur sat calling out patrols.

* * *

Littlecloud watched as Featherpaw sorted through her pile of herbs, placing borage beside tansy and catmint beside daisy leaf and so on. She was so engrossed in her work, she barely noticed that she was losing sunlight. Littlecloud snickered lightly before looking up towards the darkening sky. Tonight was the half-moon when the medicine cats would gather at the Moonpool, and when it would be shown if Featherpaw was really supposed to be a medicine cat or not.

"Did you hear me, Littlecloud?"

The tom blinked out of his daze and looked to the odd-eyed she-cat curiously. She purred a laugh and smirked as she ran her paw over a bunch of leaves. "I said we are almost out of feverfew and horsetail stalks," she said, pointing out how low the two stacks were with her tail. He blinked and looked at the piles closely, nodding in agreement.

"Good to know, we'll go looking for them tomorrow if we have the time." He straightened and stretched his back to get rid of the ache. "For now, we need to get going." Featherpaw cocked her brow curiously. "Go? Go where?" Littlecloud chuckled; she was dedicated to her work so wholeheartedly that she rarely seemed to realize what time it was. "To the Moonpool, mouse-brain! The half-moon is tonight."

Featherpaw blinked in surprise before inwardly scolding herself for her forgetfulness. Littlecloud carefully righted himself and led the way out of the den with Featherpaw close behind him. They passed a group of cats eating and sunbathing in the last rays of sunlight who waved and called out greeting to them. They nodded and progressed out of the camp. The moon was starting to rise and Silverpelt began to gleam overhead as the mentor and apprentice made their way towards the Moonpool.

The apprentice looked around in awe as they reached the shoreline of the lake and crossed onto ThunderClan territory. Despite having walked for only a short amount of time, her legs were already sore from the trip. Slowly, she fell behind to the point where she was forced to sit down and catch her breath. Littlecloud noticed this and halted as well, looking back at her worriedly. "Will you be alright? You may not be strong enough to walk all the way to the Moonpool and back with your legs still so weak," he pointed out softly as he padded to her side and rested his tail tip on her flank.

She looked up at him, still trying to catch her breath. "I have to do this. I have to get stronger so I can make this journey. I don't want to slow us down; isn't there some way to make my legs get stronger?" Her mew was pleading for him to come up with an idea. Littlecloud watched his apprentice silently when an idea came to his mind.

"We can make your legs stronger, but we can't do it now." He turned and began along the shoreline again, glancing at her over his shoulder. "We'll begin tomorrow morning."

Featherpaw stared as her mentor slowly walked away from her. Thinking that she was going to be left behind, she stood and began after him as fast as her weak legs would allow. He slowed his pace so he was trotting alongside her so not to leave her behind again and they soon began up the slope where a small river trickled into the lake. Featherpaw glanced at it as they maneuvered over the slope before noticing an unfamiliar scent approaching them.

"Greetings, Littlecloud! How does the prey run?" a soft mew asked from across the stream. Mentor and apprentice looked across the trickling water to see a dappled golden she-cat and gray tabby she-cat approaching them, both with bright eyes and the scent of herbs wafting off of their pelts.

"It runs well, Mothwing. How about the fish? Has the ice finally melted?" Littlecloud replied lightly, urging the group to continue the trek. The two she-cats complied as Mothwing replied. "Yes, finally! We are lucky that it melted when it did, many cats were starving half to death." Her gray tabby companion nodded in agreement when she noticed the little tortoiseshell cat following Littlecloud.

"Who is that, Littlecloud? An apprentice?" she asked, her eyes brightening at the thought. Mothwing blinked and looked to the cat tailing Littlecloud before smiling warmly at her in greetings. "You'll see when we all gather at the Moonpool, Willowshine," Littlecloud promised, flicking his ear dismissively at the she-cats. Willowshine's eyes brightened even more so as they trekked up the slope.

Featherpaw was amazed at how well her legs had held up during the trek, either she couldn't feel the pain anymore or it was lessening. She glanced at Willowshine and Mothwing every so often until she noticed the scent of a river clinging to their fur. _"How about the fish?" _That was what Littlecloud had said. _They must be from RiverClan, _she decided.

Suddenly, Willowshine turned and caught her eyes. The gray tabby paused and stared for a long heart beat before she gaped. "Your eyes are beautiful!" the tabby declared. Featherpaw and Littlecloud paused to stare at the cat in surprise while Mothwing paused to look at the commotion. Upon seeing Featherpaw's eyes she too gaped, but clamped her jaw shut as quickly as it had fallen open. "Those are very unusual eyes, and very beautiful," she commented and began walking again.

Littlecloud glanced at Featherpaw who shrugged and trudged on as quickly as she could. Soon enough, they reached the outside of a stone hollow where two other cats sat waiting. One was a gray tabby like Willowshine, but he just stared straight ahead as if he couldn't see them as they approached. The other was a gray tom with a mottled pattern who noticed their approach and waved with his tail in greeting. "It's about time you all got here, I was starting to worry that you had gotten lost," he exclaimed in a playful tone.

The gray tabby tom looked towards them and stared at them, or over them rather, as he spoke. "We should get to the pool, StarClan is not something you keep waiting," he grumbled, padding carefully into the hollow's entrance. The mottled tom signed and followed after the tabby with Mothwing and Willowshine close behind.

Featherpaw stared at the opening as Littlecloud led then through, carefully picking his way along in the darkness. As quickly as her eyes had adjusted, a bright light hit her eyes, forcing her to wince. When she opened her eyes again, she gaped. The hollow was moderately sized with a single pool of water at the center with a sort of beach around it except for the spot where water was fed into the pool steadily. Featherpaw could have stared at it until sunrise, had Littlecloud not nudged her forward and towards the beach where the other cats had taken their seats.

She and her mentor took a seat to the right of the gray tabby who stared straight ahead. She looked him over before realizing why he stared at nothing. _He's blind, _she decided. Despite his blindness, his nose twitched and he turned his head to look at her curiously. "Who is this, Littlecloud? I didn't know you had an apprentice," he meowed, sniffing her as he spoke. Featherpaw allowed him to sniff her without a complaint; it reminded her of how Littlecloud would check for fever when she was younger.

Littlecloud let out an annoyed sigh before standing to his paws to speak. "I have brought my apprentice here to receive the approval of StarClan. If I may begin the ceremony…"

Every cat fell silent as the eldest of their ranks cleared his throat and looked to the half moon above them and called in a clear voice, "Featherpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" His eyes met hers and she took a soft breath before answering.

"It is."

"Then come forward," he instructed, gesturing with his paw for Featherpaw to approach the pool. Carefully, she did so until she was crouching at its edge. Littlecloud nodded to her before looking to Silverpelt as he spoke. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." Featherpaw shivered as he addressed their starry ancestors that watched them from Silverpelt.

Littlecloud turned to her nodded lightly. Carefully, she bent her head and lapped up a few drops of the pool water and swallowed. Slowly, she felt a calming feeling come over her as her body relaxed. Littlecloud and the blind tom bent and lapped at the water and lay down as the effects over took them as well. The mottled tom, Mothwing and Willowshine followed suit. Her eyes grew heavy until she found herself in darkness.

* * *

She blinked her eyes tentatively, testing each before opening them fully and taking in her surroundings. She no longer knelt by the pool, instead she was kneeling in a clearing with Silverpelt glistening brightly above her. Featherpaw climbed to her paws and glanced around; searching for her mentor or the other medicine cats. The only cat she saw was a small gray-and-white tom, a dark ginger tom with shining blue eyes and a dark gray she-cat with large, pale orange eyes. She stared at them silently, unsure of what to say.

"Welcome, Featherpaw," the ginger tom mewed, stepping closer to her to touch noses with her. She obliged and continued to stare at him. _Why is he so familiar looking? _she wondered. The small gray-and-white tom followed suite, Featherpaw noting his wet nose as they touched, and the dark gray cat coming to stand by the small tom's side as she nodded her broad head in greeting.

"My name is Flametail. I was once a medicine cat apprentice much like you," Flametail explained, gesturing with his tail to the small tom. "This is Runningnose; he was a ShadowClan medicine cat many seasons ago when before your grandparents were born." The small tom bowed his head shyly at the remark before glancing to the broad headed she-cat. "And this is Yellowfang; she was once a ShadowClan medicine cat who eventually joined ThunderClan's ranks." The she-cat watched Featherpaw quietly, as if trying to decide to welcome her or attack her. She opted for the former.

"You are sitting in StarClan, little one," she muttered, waving her tail to show off the forest that surrounded them. The tortoiseshell apprentice gazed at the trees in awe before returning her attention to the past medicine cats. "My, my, you do have unusual eyes now don't you?" Yellowfang mused, staring straight into Featherpaw's eyes to get a better look at them. "I heard it from Littlecloud, but I thought he was over exaggerating. I guess he wasn't," she resolved, stepping back.

Featherpaw shook herself out of her initial shock to look at Yellowfang confusedly. "Littlecloud told you about me?" she asked, her ears perked with curiosity.

Yellowfang nodded her head and sighed. "Yes, he mentioned you a few times while you were recovering from greencough. He was worried that you would die during the first moon, but I assured him that you wouldn't be joining our ranks anytime soon."

Featherpaw rolled the ghostly cat's words over in her mind, but barley remembered the first moon of living in the medicine cat's den. Most of the second moon was lost to her as well. She glanced at Flametail and stared at him for a heartbeat before realizing why he looked so familiar. "You're my uncle, aren't you?" Flametail looked surprised but purred happily at the comment.

"Yes, I'm your uncle and the namesake of your littermate, Flamepaw," he explained, still purring softly. She could see the resemblance between him and Tigerheart easily, as well as Flamepaw. _I finally got to meet him, _she cheered silently.

She smiled at the cats before realizing something. "Does this mean I'm ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice?" Her voice shook worriedly; if she couldn't be a medicine cat, she wasn't sure she could be a warrior like her brothers. Runningnose and Yellowfang exchanged a glance before looking to Flametail expectantly. He sighed and placed his tail tip to the young apprentice shoulder reassuringly.

"Of course."

Featherpaw stared at her uncle as tears of joy cascaded down from her eyes. Without thinking, she buried her muzzle into Flametail's warm ginger pelt. He was taken by surprise but relaxed as he heard her whispering happily, "Thank you! Thank you!"

He carefully moved away from the she-cat and joined his fellow medicine cats as the dream began to fade. He smiled at her and nodded a good-bye as the three faded into nothingness, leaving Featherpaw in the starlit forest as her eyes drifted shut and sleep claimed her.

* * *

**I'm really glad that Featherpaw was accepted as a medicine cat, she really wanted it. I should mention that the next chapter will mainly be about how Flamepaw and Stormpaw are handling becoming apprentices. Oh, and although I didn't mention it, Emberkit and Shadekit became apprentices to Shrewfoot and Starlingwing respectively and Mistpaw and Sparrowpaw became warriors a half-moon prior to this chapter; Mistwhisker and Sparrowtail. **

**Now that that's done, Review and Favorite to show you support!**

**Ouka-noir**


	6. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey, everybody! No update yesterday due to having no internet access! I'll probably be a little late with updates for the next week; not a hiatus, but it will be a while for me to get to writing. **

**Anyways, to the story!**

* * *

Flamepaw crept as silently as his paws would allow into the medicine cat's den. He spotted Featherpaw easily, noticing her tortoiseshell-and-white fur standing out in the early morning light. A small smile played at his lips as he padded towards her, setting his paws on the sand carefully so not to wake her. If she noticed his approach, she gave no sign of it; her side rose and fell steadily with each soft breath in and out. He bunched up his hind legs and continued to stare at his littermate until he pounced.

Featherpaw's eyes shot open and she yowled angrily from under him. "Flamepaw! Get off of me; that hurts!" Her yowls made the nest near her rustle as Littlecloud stirred and slowly sat up to glare at the ginger tom. His eyes were dark as he glared, revealing his teeth in an angry snarl.

Flamepaw clambered off of Featherpaw, who instantly leapt out of her nest and shook herself. She too glared at Flamepaw before setting to the task of pulling pine needles out of her pelt. The tom snickered and received another glare from the tiny medicine cat. "Honestly, Flamepaw, don't you have something better to do so early in the morning rather than jumping on my apprentice?" Littlecloud watched the apprentice expectantly, waiting for an answer.

He blinked and adverted his eyes from the medicine cat, searching his mind for some sort of response. Nothing came to him. He glanced at the medicine cat to see him still glaring at the tom. Littlecloud sighed in annoyance, "If you don't have an excuse, I suggest you go see if the elders have any ticks." The ginger tom gagged at the thought, but one glare from Littlecloud sent him racing for the exit of the den. When he was outside, Flamepaw could hear Littlecloud muttering comments under his breath as he and Featherpaw began working.

_Lousy old tom! Just because I woke you up doesn't mean you have to make me check the elders for ticks! _Flamepaw grumbled angrily. He shot one glance at the medicine cats before angrily padding to the elders' den. _I don't my first job as an apprentice to be checking for ticks! Those things are so gross!_

Lying outside the bramble thicket of the elders' den was Whitewater who glanced at him as he approached. She smiled at him and twitched an ear in greeting. "Littlecloud wants me to see if you or Tallpoppy have any ticks," he grumbled, bowing his head to hide the annoyance that shimmered in his eyes. Whitewater let out a purr before calling for Tallpoppy to come outside; the long-limbed she-cat obliged and took a seat beside Whitewater, looking at Flamepaw kindly.

Gulping back the bile that collected in his mouth, Flamepaw set to work, combing through Whitewater's pure white fur for any signs of ticks. He found none and turned to the other she-cat. Sadly, he found two. He grimaced and glanced up as Featherpaw approached with a ball of moss clamped in her jaws. He cocked a brow at her as she set the ball down before him. "What's this for?" he asked, sniffing the moss questioningly. One sniff sent him scurrying away from it.

Tallpoppy and Whitewater snickered at his action before pawing at the moss. "Its mouse bile," Whitewater explained softly. "I'm not sure what it does, but it works wonders on ticks." Featherpaw nodded before picking up the moss and pressing it to Tallpoppy's ticks carefully. Flamepaw watched as the ticks did the same thing he had done; they scurried away as fast as they could. Featherpaw set the moss down before looking to Flamepaw. "Littlecloud wants me to go gather herbs with him, so do you mind taking care of this?" Her eyes were bright, as if she had forgotten how rudely he had awoken her.

Over her shoulder, he spotted Littlecloud gather leaves in his mouth. The tom glanced over at them and glared, remembering what had awoken him better than Featherpaw. His ears flattened in shame before he padded to the moss and picked it up tentatively, careful not to let his tongue touch it. He gave his sister a small nod before setting to work on the rest of the ticks. She watched him for a moment before turning and padding to where her mentor waited. Together, they picked up the leaves and headed into the forest.

Flamepaw watched them go, envy clinging to him like how the ticks clung to Tallpoppy. He had dreamed of going into the forest with his mentor; learning battle moves, and hunting techniques and how to climb the trees with the ease the warriors did. He sighed around the moss and quietly pressed it onto another tick, watching as it detached itself and fell. Tallpoppy signed at the feel of the moss and thanked Flamepaw with a purr. "Make sure you wash you paws before you do anything else, mouse bile can last for a long time if not washed off," Tallpoppy suggested as she began to groom her now tick-ridden fur.

He nodded and began towards the small pool in the camp. He placed his paws into the pool and stared at his reflection sadly. Littlecloud's words still stung his ears and made his pelt hot with embarrassment and resentment. _Why did Featherpaw choose to become a medicine cat anyway? It's not like she was the only one who could do it! I wanted to train with her! _He closed his eyes and tried to push the anger out of his mind.

"What are you doing, Flamepaw?" a hard-edged voice asked from behind him. Flamepaw blinked and turned to see his mentor, Ratscar staring at him questioningly. The apprentice blinked up at his mentor before sighing and recounting the events that had taken place earlier. The large scarred tom nodded every so often before sighing and cuffing Flamepaw's ear. Flamepaw squeaked and tried to duck away from his swipe. "The medicine cats were up very late last night, I get the feeling they were both very tired."

Flamepaw cocked his head and stared up at his mentor. "Why would they be tired? It isn't like they were training or anything," he pointed out. Ratscar nodded before looking deep into Flamepaw's eyes. "They weren't training per se, but they were traveling to the Moonpool. They would have to walk a long way to get there and considering how weak Featherpaw's legs still are, I get the feeling it was a hard trek for them."

The ginger tom blinked and slowly realized what his mentor meant; even though Featherpaw had recovered from greencough, she had struggled to walk again. Even when she followed Littlecloud, she stumbled now and then. He could see how being a warrior would have been near impossible for her in her state. He glanced at where she and her mentor had left camp and sighed.

* * *

Featherpaw trotted behind Littlecloud, carrying the ivy leaves carefully between her jaws so not to tear them. Every so often, her mentor would pause and point out an herb or berry as they walked past; comfrey root, borage leaves, fennel and many more. She silently tried to remember where each on was for the return trip. Eventually, they reached the shore of the lake where Littlecloud paused and set his ivy down.

She blinked before setting her own bundle down and glancing up at him. "Why are we here? I thought we were going to gather some more feverfew and horsetail stalks," she quipped. The lake shimmered before her as the waves rolled onto the sandy beach. Featherpaw stared out at the water in awe; it was nothing like the Moonpool, but she could still imagine the small pool whenever she closed her eyes.

Littlecloud smiled down at her before padding away from her side. She watched as he picked up a stick in his jaws and set it down several fox-lengths away from her. He then picked up a similar stick, padded past her and did the same, setting it several fox-lengths from her. The apprentice watched her mentor in confusion as he placed the stick and waved for her to join him. She did so, although she had no idea what he was doing.

"I don't get it, what are we doing out here?" she repeated, staring at the stick before turning her face up to her mentor. The tom smiled and slowly began to explain his idea. "I want you to run from here as far as you can towards that stick over there," he gestured to the first stick with his paw. "When you can't run anymore, just stop and I'll come to you." He glanced at her with his blue eyes. "Got it?"

Featherpaw scrunched her nose in confusion, inwardly thinking, _But why? We aren't WindClan cats and we aren't warriors; what does running have to do with being a medicine cat?_ She shrugged the questions away and looked towards the stick that lay many fox-lengths away from them. _Well, he did ask, _she relented, placing her paws forward and sprinting with all her might.

For the first fox-length, she did well; she didn't slow or stumble at all. By the second one, her legs yowled at her in protest. She never even made it to the third. Featherpaw came to a panting stop and pulled her legs under her as she hunkered down. The pain continued to scream in her legs when Littlecloud padded to her and set a stick at her side.

"That was good, you actually made it pretty far the first time which gives us a good place to start," he commented. She turned to stare at him, even more confused than she was last time. He caught her look and let out a soft chuckle. "Let me explain: because your legs are so weak, we need to build the strength back up in them. The best ways to do that are running on sand or swimming; we'll be doing both." Realization dawned in her eyes as she remembered his words from last night.

"_We can make you legs stronger, but we can't do it now. We'll begin tomorrow morning," _those were the words he had spoken. She had held onto those words all through the night, but Flamepaw's surprise awakening had made her forget. Happiness rushed through her veins as she stood and looked to her mentor for instructions. He purred at her determination and began the task again.

* * *

Wind whistled past Stormpaw's ears as he tried to crouch as low to the ground as possible. His eyes were slits of green as he stared intently at his prey. A pigeon pecked at the ground, picking at seeds and the occasional bug that crossed its path. Stormpaw flattened himself as it slowly approached him, bunching up his haunches to launch himself at his prey. When it was only a tail-length, he leapt.

The pigeon's eyes grew wide as it took to the air, flapping its wings as fast as it could in an attempt to get away. Its attempts were futile; the dark tabby's claws and teeth sank into its feathers and flesh and brought it back down to the ground with a thud. It tried frantically to get away until the heart throb faded and the body grew cold. Stormpaw blinked and stared at the bird in surprise. He had done it; he had actually caught a bird.

"Nice job," Crowfrost meowed as he and the patrol approached him. Stormpaw's pelt grew warm from the praise and he let a tiny purr reverberate through his body. Hollowpaw stared at him silently and smirked lightly, padding over to sniff the catch. "Pigeons are sometimes very annoying to catch," he commented, giving Stormpaw an approving look.

His pelt heated again as the praises rang in his ears. His paws tingled at the sensation of leaping for his prey and sinking his teeth into it. He sent silent thanks up to StarClan when he noticed the sky darkening. Sunset was approaching quickly. Crowfrost noticed this as well and called for the patrol to gather. "We have enough prey for at least a quarter-moon with this catch; let's head back to the camp." The patrol meowed and nodded their approval and they slowly began towards home.

Stormpaw carried the pigeon by himself and glanced at the rest of the fresh-kill they had caught; two frogs, a thrush, a number of mice and three pigeons. He smiled at the thought of someone eating his pigeon and smiled around his prey.

As the patrol padded along, Crowfrost and Dawnpelt paused, tasting the air around them carefully. Dawnpelt was the first to move, bounding forwards and nearly colliding with their tiny medicine cat. "Honestly!" he scoffed angrily, glaring daggers at the she-cat. She, in turn, stared at him blankly. "Why do you smell like RiverClan?" she asked.

Littlecloud blinked and snickered as he gestured to his apprentice. Featherpaw, Stormpaw saw, was wet to the bone; her pelt was plastered to her body and water dripped off her in slow rhythmic drips. He couldn't take his eyes off his sister as she glared at him and Hollowpaw in challenge, daring them to laugh. He noticed Hollowpaw clamping his mouth shut and trying to keep it that way despite the soft, nearly inaudible, snickers that escaped.

Dawnpelt only stared at her niece in surprise. "What did you do, go for a swim in the lake?" she gasped. Slowly, Featherpaw and Littlecloud exchanged a glance before he replied. "Something like that."

Dawnpelt, Crowfrost and the apprentices all stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "Why, in the name of StarClan, would you make her do that?" Dawnpelt mewed in shock. Littlecloud sighed and began to explain as they padded to the camp.

Once they arrived at the entrance, Stormpaw and Hollowpaw were gawking at Featherpaw in surprise. "You're going to learn to swim to make your legs stronger?" Hollowpaw asked after he had set the fresh-kill down. Featherpaw nodded, sending droplets of water every which way. Stormpaw and Hollowpaw continued to stare as she glanced over the pile and selected a small thrush to eat.

Stormpaw watched his sister pad away to join Littlecloud outside their shared den.

* * *

Featherpaw took a seat beside Littlecloud and began to groom her fur the moment she'd set her thrush down. Littlecloud watched her furiously try to get the water droplets out of her fur and held back a chuckle at her almost futile effort. After he had made her run a few more times with some progress, he'd instructed her to try paddling in the shallow waters near the shore. She was a patient and dedicated as he had said during her apprentice ceremony as she entered the shallow water and tried to paddle forwards.

Every few heartbeats, she would glance at him to confirm whether she was doing it correctly or not. He nodded each time, encouraging her to keep at it. They did this until the sun had begun to set and he called for her to come out. When she had, she was soaking wet, but she seemed to be alright with this if it meant her legs could become stronger again. He picked up their bundles of ivy and began back along the path they had come one.

He watched his apprentice as she began to devour the thrush, offering it to him when she had eaten her fill. He thanked her and took a bite, savoring the taste of the bird before finishing it. As he licked his lips happily, he noticed Tigerheart coming towards them. "How did your trip to the Moonpool go last night?" he asked, pride shimmering in his dark eyes. Littlecloud smiled at the mention of what had happened and nodded.

"StarClan happily accepted her into our ranks," he purred, resting his tail on his apprentice's shoulder. Featherpaw smiled at him before turning her head to beam at her father. He, too, smiled and pressed his nose to his daughter's ear. When he pulled his head back, he was smiling as he had been when she and her littermates had been born. Littlecloud glanced to his apprentice to see her odd eyes staring up at the sky as Silverpelt began to emerge above them. Her eyes just stared up at them and he slowly followed her gaze to stare up at the stars.

Tigerheart bid them farewell and left them to their own tasks as he set out for the final patrol. The stars twinkled brightly in Silverpelt as he and his apprentice entered their den and began to sort out their newly collected herbs. Featherpaw set of the task of removing the leaves for a jawful of daisies as Littlecloud set about sorting the berries. Every so often, he would ask her a question about the berries.

"What is a juniper berry used for?" he would ask.

She would gaze at nothing for a moment before replying, "It soothes belly aches, gives a cat strength and helps with troubled breathing, I think."

He would nod and continue to sort until he thought of another question. "If a cat is complaining of a bellyache, what should you do?"

"Ask if they've eaten anything today, to see if they may have accidentally eaten crowfood then give them some stinging nettle to make sure they throw it up. If they haven't, you should give them, uh," she paused and thought for a moment. "Chervil or something that could soothe their bellyaches." She looked to her mentor as he nodded.

He had to admit, she knew some of the herbs very well. _Now I have to teach her the rest of them, _he sighed inwardly.

* * *

**Alright, so I need to give Stormpaw and Flamepaw's some more parts cause it's starting to be the Featherpaw and Littlecloud show... Yeah, no longer! Next chapter will be up soon enough (maybe in a week or so)**

**Review and Favorite to show your support!**

Ouka-Noir


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